Running Through Kenosha

5/3/2019 - Oliver Debe

It’s Marathon Weekend in Kenosha, and we can’t help but think of all the great scenic routes in our area for runners, bikers, and walkers alike. Exercise is important for all of us in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It gives us a chance to stop, focus on our health and wellness, and to start doing something special for ourselves.

Running provides me a chance to escape the craziness of life and to focus and enjoy working out. While I do enjoy exercising and running at the Kenosha YMCA (they have an awesome jogging track), there are great spots across the Kenosha area that offer residents and visitors alike a space to run outside and enjoy all four seasons with some great views. Since Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner, here are some of my favorite outdoor spots to go for a run during our warmer months in the Kenosha Area:

Downtown Kenosha & HarborPark - Downtown Kenosha and its surrounding lakefront area offer runners a great running track and space to get a few miles under their feet. If you are a morning runner, be sure to check out the Simmons Island Boardwalk. This spot offers amazing summer sunrises! If you cruise around HarborPark, you can log more than 5 miles.

Bristol Woods Park - Home of Pringle Nature Center, there are various trails and paths that one can use to get a more rugged run in. Check out the Green Trail where you can see how the glaciers edged the land into what it is today. Or, check out the Orange Trail in late summer and early fall for great autumn colored leaves falling, wild flowers, and sunny rays. This running path is about 4.5 miles in length.

Fox River Park – Like being around water? Fox River Park may be just the running destination for you! Take advantage of the winding trails by the Fox River and maybe even take a running break and add a game of disc golf, volleyball or basketball to your workout! This path is 4.15 miles in length when you add up all of the trails offered at the park, so go ahead and explore.

Petrifying Springs Park – Located near University of Wisconsin - Parkside campus, Petrifying Springs Park has a plethora of winding paths in and through the wooded grounds. There are also areas of prairie grass lands and multi-use trails for the novice and expert runner alike! This is one of my favorite running spots as it allows me to always see the beauty of nature and sometimes even deer! This running path is roughly 3.5 miles long.

All the parks in the Kenosha Area offer options to run, skip, walk, jog, and play for all types of activities to get families moving. If you're a runner visiting the area, you may find the Kenosha Running Club to be a great resource - they host a weekly Saturday morning run at 7:30 a.m. starting at the Harbor (52nd Street and 6th Avenue). No matter what your exercise preference, you know that you’ll enjoy the beautiful parks, paths, trails, and spaces in the Kenosha Area!